1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a recording medium which are capable of extracting a certain number of relevant images relevant to a selected image selected by a user from a plurality of images.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a large number of images are stored in a recording medium such as a user's hard disk, images are searched for on the basis of, for example, a photographing date or the like, and thus a certain number of images can be sequentially displayed as a list from images on a corresponding photographing date.
However, hundreds of images may be stored on a certain photographing date, and thus when a certain number of images are sequentially displayed as a list, it is fairly troublesome to search for images on an initial page, the next page, and the like falling within a certain day, a certain month, and a certain year. For this reason, a large number of images are stored on a recording medium as they are, and thus even a user himself (or herself) may often forget what images are stored thereon.
Here, related art documents relevant to the present invention include JP2006-20065A and JP2004-236120A.
JP2006-20065A relates to a portable electronic photograph album. The above document discloses that, for example, images of which pieces of photographing location information are approximately coincident with each other are displayed on each of first and second display devices, on the basis of photographing location information or photographing date information, and that the images contrast with each other. In addition, the above document discloses that images in which some of photographing date and time information are the same as each other (for example, the days and months are the same as each other, and the years are different from each other) are displayed on each of the first and second display devices.
JP2004-236120A relates to a sorting device or the like that sorts a plurality of photographic images acquired by image capture. The above document discloses that the photographic images are classified into a plurality of groups on the basis of a difference in a photographing place, a photographing time, a scene, and the like. In addition, the above document discloses that acceptable photographic images are extracted from each group on the basis of sorting conditions, such as defocusing, eyes being closed, and a camera shake, in which the same person is photographed.